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Jun 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) looks on during the third period against the Florida Panthers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Connor McDavid’s Legacy Being Tarnished After 2nd Straight Stanley Cup Final Loss

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Matt Parks | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 12:05 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals after an abysmal performance in Games 5 and 6. A lot of that falls on the Oilers’ captain. Not many teams get a chance at redemption, but when they do, they are victorious. That was the case with the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers and the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins. Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby are two of the greatest players in league history, and they both experienced heartbreak. However, they rebounded the following season and won the Cup. But that wasn’t the case for Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

Following their Game 3 loss, the Oilers’ captain said, “Not our best at all. I don’t think our best has shown up all series long, but it’s coming.” Well, we’re still waiting. Their best didn’t show up, and if you’re going to make a statement like that, you better back it up. They didn’t, and now the organization has decisions to make heading into the offseason, especially with McDavid’s contract extension looming. This loss will sting for quite some time, because they were right there, but couldn’t get over the hump. The best players find a way, but that’s back-to-back heartbreaking defeats by this core group.

McDavid needs a Stanley Cup to cement his legacy, and the more seasons he plays, the more the pressure grows. The 2025-26 season will mark his 11th in the league, and no Cups to show for it. Look no further than Alex Ovechkin for comparison. He just became the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer, but it took constant disappointment and failures to achieve his ultimate goal. It took him 13 seasons to finally hoist the Cup, and McDavid isn’t far behind. Ovechkin has only been to one Cup Final, and he made the most of his opportunity. That illustrates how challenging it is to get to that point.

It’s hard to get to the Stanley Cup Final, especially in back-to-back seasons, so you can’t squander these opportunities. McDavid will be remembered for what he accomplished in June, and not his individual accolades. If he doesn’t get back to this position, his legacy will be forever tarnished for not bringing a Stanley Cup to Edmonton.

McDavid Didn’t Show Up in the Big Moment

While it takes a full team effort to win the Cup, your best players must take over the game, and that didn’t happen. McDavid was held off the scoresheet in Games 6 and 7 last season, and only had one goal through six games this season. His lone goal came in Game 5 when the game was largely out of reach. He didn’t have a clutch moment this entire series, and as their best player, that’s unacceptable.

McDavid should be more selfish and shoot the puck. He’s always looking to make the perfect pass, even when it’s not there to be made. He’s a facilitator of the puck, and he makes plays, but the opponents are aware of that. If he shoots more, he becomes a dual threat and gives them something else to think about, which will open up some passing lanes. But he’s always thinking pass first, and that makes him predictable. Therefore, he wasn’t dangerous against the Panthers because they knew what he was going to do. He has a great shot, so use it. He needed a nuclear performance and some big goals, but didn’t get them. The moment was too big for him, and he didn’t seize the opportunity.

Oilers Can’t Blame the Depth

For years during the McDavid era, secondary scoring has been a major concern. They were largely viewed as a two-player team, with him and Leon Draisaitl providing most of the offence. But the 2025 version of the Oilers had the deepest forward group since No. 97 entered the league. They got massive goals throughout the lineup. Kasperi Kapanen scored an overtime winner to send Edmonton to the conference finals, and Vasily Podkolzin scored a huge goal in Game 4 of the Cup Final to tie the game after trailing by three. Not to mention 40-year-old Corey Perry having a monstrous postseason, scoring 10 goals in 22 games.

The depth showed up and carried them throughout the playoffs, so you can’t blame them. Once the Oilers tied the series against Florida, the big guns should’ve seen blood in the water. Oilers fans were expecting a vintage McDavid three-point night, but that never came. Instead, they laid an egg in Game 5 and couldn’t recover in Game 6. He only recorded two points in the final four games of the series. We’re used to seeing McDavid dominate, so maybe our expectations were too high. Nonetheless, he didn’t play well enough, and that’s on him.